storming the castle ...

Castle Rock Gulch, that is!!!  We even had to cross a moat!

All my friends are skilled, talented, bikepacking freaks.

I love them.

And they inspire me deeply. They inspire me CRAZILY.

I've been trying to instill all that inspiration and bikepacking crack dream energy into my hubadubdub, Ed. He's been rather 'meh' about the idea of it so far. And that is OK. I get it.  However, I hauled off and bought myself a nice set of bike packs a year and a half ago. I've been day dreaming about adventuring ... a little too much. And finally, I conned Ed into getting us some good, light, bikepacking essentials.

But it wasn't until last weekend that he agreed to bikepackexperimental with me. WOOHOOO!

We touched base with Tom P, and he set us up with an ubersweet beginner route.

I felt like my bike and pack set up were relatively dialed for not having done this at ALL. Ed had things as dialed as possible, but ended up carrying a bit of weight on his back in a big pack. First time out, tho, I think we did pretty stinkin' good.

66 mile loop of mostly dirt road, in an area we've never been. We enjoyed getting to know what our weighted down ponies felt like on dirt roads, and then enjoyed a fat handful of singletrack on the way back into town.

It did not suck.
I did not want to stop riding.
This changes everything.

So. On with it!


All the cool kids seem to start at a coffee shop or a bakery. So we did the same thing. Funny the looks that loaded ponies attract!




We climbed up a steepass road, and I was not tired. I did not (and still don't) understand. Ohwell.



The pony looks like she's ready for pretty much anything, to me. I CANNOT believe how much crap I can fit in that massive saddlebag. OOHHHYYYEEAAHHHHH....



The new to us place did NOT disappoint.


HUUUGGGEEEE views. Expansivemind views. I like that.


And guess what.......... ED LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



We were happy, rolling together. It was special. And we knew it.



We found countless single track options to go back and explore the next time.



And we found places that are much like the Wilderness environs that we usually frequent on foot. Lucky us!



We saw a very little snake in the big wide world we were rolling through. It just ... struck me. We saw a handful of antelope. And a few MASSIVE Elk. We heard owls and countless bird. It was nice to be so quiet.


And we set up our sweet spot.



We got to witness the massive Ghost Moon rise ------ and pass over us all night long.


We enjoyed just the simplicity of ... being. Out there.



Duhhhh....


Snug-asabug-inarug. THANK YOU MOM AND DADDYDOUG FOR ALL THE AWESOME GEAR!!!!!



Did I mention that this WORKED. And that we were giddy with rolly bliss? 



This makes me swoon a bit.


Ed's photos: aaaahhhhhhh!!!!!



I know this place. And yet, I've never been here.



Thank you, my Love. For everything. You make life so particularly sweet.


I love this.
And I love you.

Jj